Compression of the brain is more often produced by either an effusion of blood, tumors, fracture of the skull with depression, or by the forma-tion of pus or serous fluid within the cranial cavity.

Symptoms

Partial or complete unconsciousness and stupor, breathing slow, labored, and noisy; pupil dilated and insensible; pulse slow; sometimes the urine dribbles away, and a discharge of feces occurs involuntary.

Diagnosis

To discriminate between concussion and compression of the brain is by no means easy in some cases. The leading points of distinction are as follows: - The symptoms of concussion appear immediately after the accident; those of compression from an effusion of blood, may manifest themselves after an interval. Be it understood that for a time after a severe blow on the head it will be difficult, if not impossible, to tell whether simple concussion or compression exists. If the first symptoms disappear readily, and the animal seemingly having entirely recovered afterwards becomes unconscious, it may be inferred that compression has followed concussion. In the latter the pulse and breathing is weak and feeble, the body cold; in the former the breathing is heavy, labored, and noisy; the pulse slow and full; complete muscular paralysis is not uncommon in this condition, but rare in concussion.

Treatment

Fractures demand surgical treatment, the same may be said if it can be determined that pus has formed within the cranial cavity. In other respects the treatment advised in apoplexy should be employed in compression.